Laundry finisher folder

ABSTRACT

A combined apparatus for both folding and ironing textile fabric flatwork having flexible, endless belt conveyors for carrying the flatwork in sequence past a first pick-up-and-drop folder, a first ironing drum around which the once-folded flatwork is partially wrapped, a second pick-up-and-drop folder, and a second ironing drum around which the twice-folded flatwork is partially wrapped before being conveyed away.

[ Mar. 12, 1974 Unite States Patent [1 1 Johnson 3,579,876 5/1971 Freerrnann................................ 38/2 LAUNDRY FINISHER FOLDER [76] Inventor: William Lawrence Johnson, 1716 E.

Sunrise Blvd, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Prlma'y Larkm 33304 Attorney, Agent, or Fzrm-Oltman and Flynn Feb. 23, 1973 Appl. No.: 335,351

[57] ABSTRACT A combined apparatus for both folding and ironing [22] Filed:

textile fabric flatwork having flexible, endless belt conveyors for carrying the flatwork in sequence past a first pick-up-and-drop folder, a first ironing drum around which the once-folded flatwork is partially wrapped, a second pick-up-and-drop folder, and a sec- 20 60 7 WU 76 2. 6 2% Q 3 m 5 .H4 H m 7 m m m m6 m m mmm2 n n/0 n. HMO n m h u c u w m S L 81 C d S i UhF HUN 555 [.ll

0nd ironing drum around which the twice-folded flatwork is partially wrapped before being conveyed away.

3,127,690 38/2 7 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures PATENTEDHAR 12 m4 SHEEI10F4 mm TI W MW HHHHHWlHIIHWHHHHHHHH slvsslsss FATENTEDHAR 12 1914 SHEET 3 OF 4 LAUNDRY FINISHER FOLDER This invention relates to a combined apparatus for both folding and ironing textile fabric flatwork.

Various machines for cross-folding fabric flatwork are known, as are various machines for ironing such flatwork. The present invention is directed to a novel and improved apparatus in which both of these diverse functions are combined, so that the apparatus may take as its input damp dry, unfolded flatwork and deliver as its output the folded, ironed flatwork. A multiple endless-belt conveyor arrangement in the apparatus carries the flatwork through successive folding and ironing operations in such a manneras to insure that these operations are performed correctly and automatically, yet with a minimum of mechanical complexity and in a relatively small space,

Accordingly, it is a principal object of this invention to provide a novel and improved, unitary apparatus for both folding and ironing fabric flatwork.

Another object of this invention is to provide such an apparatus which performs the folding and ironing operations successively in a simplified manner which contributes to the reliability of its operation.

Another object of this invention is to provide such an apparatus having multiple endless-belt conveyors arranged to sandwich the flatwork snugly between them when it is being ironed, and also arranged to support the flatwork freely on a single conveyor when it is to be folded.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a presently-preferred embodiment thereof, which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the present apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view, taken along the line 2 2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken along the line 3 3 in FIG. 1 and broken at the middle, and with certain parts broken away for clarity;

FIG. 4 is a vertical section, taken along the line 4 4 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of the drive mechanism in this apparatus;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view illustrating the first folding operation on the fabric flatwork in this apparatus;

FIG. 7 is a similar view showing the once-folded flatwork passing across the first ironing drum and thenbeing folded again by a second folding device;

FIG. 8 is a similar view showing the twice-folded flatwork after it has passed across the second ironing drum in the apparatus and also showing the next flatwork piece engaged by the first folding device in the apparatus, and

FIGS. 9, 10 and 11 are longitudinal sectional views of a pick-up-and-drop folder embodied in the present apparatus in successive stages of its folding operation.

Referring first to FIG. 1, the present apparatus comprises a generally rectangular cabinet 10 having a front apron 11, a first endless-belt conveyor 12 at the front apron for carrying fabric flatwork into the cabinet from left to right in FIG. 1, and a delivery table 13 at the back of the cabinet for receiving the folded and ironed flatwork therefrom.

The front apron 11 presents a table 14 (FIG. 2) dis posed directly beneath the upper flight of the conveyor 12 and extending up at a slight angle into the interior of the cabinet. The first conveyor 12 comprises a plurality of laterally spaced, flexible, endless belts 12a which pass over the top of table 14 and into the interior of the cabinet 10, as best seen in FIG. 2.

At the front of the cabinet 10, the table 14 has several openings 15 (FIG. 2) positioned laterally between neighboring pairs of the conveyor belts 12a. Adjacent each of these openings there is positioned a corresponding lifting finger 16. The several lifting fingers 16 form part of a known type of pick-up-and-drop folding device, as disclosed fully in U.S. Pat. No. 3,706,450. This folding device has a casing 17 attached to the front of the cabinet 10. Each lifting finger 16 normally extends forward and down below this casing 17, with its lower end at or near the respective opening 15 on the table 14 between the conveyor belts 12a.

The function of this pick-up-and-drop folding device is to cross-fold the flatwork piece F as it is carried into the cabinet 10.

As described in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,706,450, and as shown in FIGS. 9-ll herein, the pivoted lifting fingers 16 in this pick-up-and-drop folder are located behind a forwardly and upwardly inclined fingers 122, which raise the flatwork F up off the uppe run 12a of conveyor 12.

The lifting fingers 16 move from a lowered position (FIG. 9) up to a raised position (FIG. 10) and then back down to a partially lowered position (FIG. 11). The fingers 16 are operated by a piston 138 controlled by a solenoid valve and biased by a spring 139 to the FIG. 9 position. When the solenoid valve is actuated to apply fluid pressure against the left end of piston 138, the lifting fingers 16 are raised to the FIG. 10 position. When this fluid pressure is partly relieved, the fingers are partially lowered to the FIG. 11 position.

The operation of solenoid valve 140 is controlled by a pair of photoelectric sensors located at respective openings 126 and 132 in the table 14 along the path of the upper run 12a of conveyor 12.

Below the first opening 126 are located a lamp bulb 124 and a photoelectric cell 128, with a one-way mirror 131 between them to prevent light emitted by the lamp bulb 124 from impinging directly on the photocell 128. When the opening 126 is not blocked by the flatwork F, light from bulb 124 shines up through this opening and is reflected by a mirror 127 onto the photocell 128. Only such reflected light can reach this photocell.

A similar arrangement of a lamp bulb 130, photocell 134 and one-way mirror 133 is provided below the second opening 132 for coaction with mirror 127 in the same manner.

As shown in FIG. 9, when the flatwork F has passed over the first opening 126 but not yet over the second opening 132, the fingers 16 remain down.

When the flatwork overlies both openings 126 and 132, to de-energize both photocells 128 and 134, the solenoid valve 140 is actuated to raise the fingers 16 to the position shown in FIG. 10.

Thereafter, when the trailing edge of the flatwork F has moved forward past the first opening 126, but not yet past the second opening 132, the solenoid valve 140 is operated to partially relieve the pressure on the piston 138, permitting the fingers 16 to lower part way, to the FIG. 11 position.

Finally, when the flatwork F has moved completely past the second opening 132, the solenoid valve 140 completely relieves the fluid pressure acting on the piston 138 and the fingers 16 are lowered fully, back to the FIG. 9 position.

Referring to FIG. 2, insidethe cabinet 10 just past the upper, inner end of the table 14 is a stationary first ironing drum 18, preferably of stainless steel. This drum extends horizontally across the interior of the cabinet 10 from side to side (FIG. 3). Drum 18 carries a plurality of heater elements 19 near the arcuate portion of the drum periphery over which the fabric flatwork F passes. The heater elements 19 may be heated electrically or by gas, stream, or any other appropriate means.

The belts 12a of the first conveyor 12 pass snugly partially around the first ironing drum 18 (clockwise in FIG. 2), and from beneath this drum they pass over a motor-driven drive roller 20, and from the latter they pass out through the front of the cabinet 10 to an idler roller 21 at the front end of the apron 11. Drive roller is attached to the output shaft 23a of a reduction gear 23 driven by an electric motor 22.

A second stationary ironing drum 24 of the same general tpe extends horizontally from side to side across the interior of the cabinet 10 a short distance below, and slightly in front of, the first ironing drum 18.

A second flexible, endless belt conveyor, comprising a series of endless flexible belts 25 arranged in close succession from side to side across the interior of the cabinet 10, carries the flatwork F from the first ironing drum 18 over to the second ironing drum 24. Each of the conveyor belts 25 passes clockwise about one-half turn down around the first ironing drum 18 in confronting relationship to, and directly overlying, the belts 12a of the first conveyor, so that the flatwork F is sandwiched snugly between the two conveyors as it is carried by them around drum 18. Each conveyor belt 25 extends tangentially from the bottom of the first ironing drum 18 to the left and slightly downward in FIG. 2, passing counterclockwise around the second ironing drum 24 for about twothirds of a turn, then up around an idler roller 26, and from there over to a drive roller 27, and around the latter down to the first ironing drum 18.

The drive roller 27 for the second conveyor 25 is driven from the motor 22 through the reduction gear 23, a sprocket 28 (FIG. 4) coupled to the reduction gear, a chain 29 driven by sprocket 28, and a sprocket 30 attached to the shaft 31 on which the drive roller 27 is secured.

A second pick-up-and-drop folding device 32 is positioned inside the cabinet 10 directly above the second ironing drum 24 and is arranged to cross-fold the flatwork piece F a second time, just after it passes the first ironing drum 18 and just before it goes around the second ironing drum 24. This second folding device 32 is substantially identical to the first folding device 16, 17 at the entrance side of the machine, and the operation of the two folding devices is synchronized in any suitable manner so that each engages, lfits and later releases the leading end of the flatwork piece at the correct time.

The second ironing drum 24 carries heating elements 33 near the arcuate portion of its periphery where the flatwork passes over.

A third flexible, endless-belt conveyor, comprising a series of endless flexible belts 34 arranged in close succession from side to side across the interior of the cabinet 10, carries the flatwork F from beneath the second ironing drum 24 horizontally over to an exit opening 35 at the back of the cabinet, directly in front of the delivery table 13. The belts 34 of the third conveyor pass down snugly around the second ironing drum 24 counterclockwise through about one-thrid turn, and they are in confronting relationship to, and directly overlie, the belts 25 of the second conveyor on the second drum 24 so that the flatwork F is sandwiched snugly between them as it is carried down around drum 24.

The belts 34 of the third conveyor pass tangentially from beneath the second ironing drum 24 and around an idler roller 36 just inside and below the exit opening 35, and then horizontally to the left in FIG. 2 over to an idler roller 37 and up around the latter for onequarter turn, up to a drive roller 38 located directly below the drive roller 20'for the first conveyor 12, and down around the drive roller 38 to the second ironing drum 24. Drive roller 38 is driven from the reduction gear 23 through gears 39 and 40 (FIG. 5).

OPERATION In the operation of this apparatus, the machine operator drapes the fabric flatwork F across the front apron 11 and the first conveyor .12 carries the flatwork to the right in the drawings. Alternatively, the flatwork may be'fed onto the first conveyor 12 automatically. In either case, the flatwork usually will be damp dry and unfolded.

The leading edge f-1 of the flatwork passes up over the lifting fingers 16 in the first folding device, as shown in full lines in FIG. 2, and then these fingers are raised to the phantom line position to clamp the leading end of the flatwork against the underside of the casing 17.

With the leading end of the flatwork thus raised up and restrained against movement, the first conveyor carries the trailing portion of the flatwork beneath the lifting fingers 16 and into the cabinet 10, as shown in FIG. 6.,When the trailing edge f-2 of the flatwork approaches the first folding device 16, 17, the lifting fingers 16 drop down automatically, releasing the previously-restrained leading end of the flatwork. When this happens, the original leading edge f-l of the flatwork now overlies the trailing edge f-2, and the flatwork now is folded once along a line extending across it midway between its original leading edge f-l and its trailing edge f-2. This fold line now becomes the leading edge of the once-folded flatwork as it passes around the first ironing drum 18, sandwiched snugly between the belts 12a of the first conveyor and the belts 25 of the second conveyor.

In passing around the first ironing drum 18, the oncefolded flatwork is exposed to the heating affect of the heater elements 19 for the removal of some of the excess moisture in the fabric. Also, of course, the flatwork is wrapped snugly partially around the drum to remove many of the wrinkles that may be present.

The once-folded flatwork passes from beneath the first ironing drum 18 to the second folding device 32, which operates in essentially the same manner as the first folding device to again cross-fold the flatwork, so that now the flatwork has been twice cross-folded.

The twice-folded flatwork passes down around the second ironing drum 24 while sandwiched snugly between the belts 25 of the second conveyor and the belts 34 of the third conveyor. ln passing around the second ironing drum the flatwork is heated again, as well as being wrapped snugly around this drum to further remove wrinkles.

The belts 34 of the third conveyor carry the twicefolded and twice-ironed flatwork from beneath the second ironing drum 24 over to the delivery table 13 at the back of the cabinet 10, where an additional crossfolder (not shown) may be provided, if desired.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the disclosed embodiment of the present invention combines in one machine the functions of cross-folding and ironing fabric flatwork in a novel and advantageous manner. However, while a presently-preferred embodiment of this combined apparatus has been described in detail herein and shown in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that various modifications differing from the disclosed embodiment are possible without departing from the essential principles of this invention. For example, the heater elements may be omitted from either or both ironing drums l8 and 24, if desired for a particular type of fabric.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for folding and ironing fabric flatwork comprising:

a first folding device;

a first ironing device;

a second folding device,

a second ironing drum;

and means for conveying the flatwork in sequence past said first folding device to be cross-folded a first time by thelatter, then partially around said first ironing drum to be ironed thereby, then past said second folding device to be cross-folded a second time by the latter, and then partially around said second ironing drum to be ironed thereby.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each ironing drum has heating element means thereon for heating the flatwork as it passes over the drum.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each folding device is a pick-up-and-drop folder.

4. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said means for conveying comprises:

a first flexible, endless-belt conveyor for carrying the flatwork past said first folding device and from there partially around said first ironing drum;

a second flexible, endless-belt conveyor wrapped partially around said first ironing drum in confronting relationship to said first conveyor to sandwich the once-folded flatwork snugly between them as it passes around said first ironing drum, said second conveyor extending tangentially away from the first ironing drum to carry the once-folded flatwork away from the first ironing drum and past said second folding device to be folded a second time by the latter, said second conveyor beyond said second folding device being wrapped partially around said second ironing drum to carry the twice-folded flatwork around the latter;

and a third flexible, endless-belt conveyor wrapped partially around said second ironing drum in confronting relationship to said second conveyor to sandwich the twice-folded flatwork snugly between them as it passes around said second ironing drum, said third conveyor extending tangentially away from said second ironing drum to carry the twicefolded flatwork away from the latter.

5. Apparatus forfolding and ironing fabric flatwork comprising:

a first flexible, endless-belt conveyor;

a first folder positioned along the path of the first conveyor to cross-fold the flatwork carried by the latter;

a first ironing drum around which the first conveyor passes after passing said first folder;

a second flexible, endless-belt conveyor wrapped partially around said first ironing drum in confronting relationship to said first conveyor to sandwich the once-folded flatwork snugly between them as it passes around the first ironing drum;

a second folder positioned along the path of the second conveyor after it passes said first ironing drum to cross-fold the flatwork a second time;

a second ironing drum around which the second conveyor passes after passing said second folder;

and a third flexible, endless-belt conveyor wrapped partially around said second ironing drum in confronting relationship to said second conveyor to sandwich the twice-folded flatwork snugly between them as it passes around the second ironing drum, said third conveyor extending away from said second ironing drum to convey the flatwork away from the latter.

6. Apparatus for folding and ironing fabric flatwork comprising:

a stationary ironing drum;

a first flexible, endless-belt conveyor extending from one side of the drum contiguously across the top of the drum and down around the opposite side of the drum and beneath the drum back to said one side thereof;

a second flexible, endless-belt conveyor contiguously overlapping said first conveyor around said opposite side of the drum;

a folding device adjacent said first conveyor ahead of said ironing drum and operative to cross-fold the flatwork thereon before it reaches the drum;

and said first and second conveyors sandwiching the flatwork snugly between them while wrapping it around said opposite side of the drum.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said ironing drum has heating element means thereon for heating the flatwork as it passes around the drum. 

1. Apparatus for folding and ironing fabric flatwork comprising: a first folding device; a first ironing device; a second folding device, a second ironing drum; and means for conveying the flatwork in sequence past said first folding device to be cross-folded a first time by the latter, then partially around said first ironing drum to be ironed thereby, then past said second folding device to be crossfolded a second time by the latter, and then Partially around said second ironing drum to be ironed thereby.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each ironing drum has heating element means thereon for heating the flatwork as it passes over the drum.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each folding device is a pick-up-and-drop folder.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said means for conveying comprises: a first flexible, endless-belt conveyor for carrying the flatwork past said first folding device and from there partially around said first ironing drum; a second flexible, endless-belt conveyor wrapped partially around said first ironing drum in confronting relationship to said first conveyor to sandwich the once-folded flatwork snugly between them as it passes around said first ironing drum, said second conveyor extending tangentially away from the first ironing drum to carry the once-folded flatwork away from the first ironing drum and past said second folding device to be folded a second time by the latter, said second conveyor beyond said second folding device being wrapped partially around said second ironing drum to carry the twice-folded flatwork around the latter; and a third flexible, endless-belt conveyor wrapped partially around said second ironing drum in confronting relationship to said second conveyor to sandwich the twice-folded flatwork snugly between them as it passes around said second ironing drum, said third conveyor extending tangentially away from said second ironing drum to carry the twice-folded flatwork away from the latter.
 5. Apparatus for folding and ironing fabric flatwork comprising: a first flexible, endless-belt conveyor; a first folder positioned along the path of the first conveyor to cross-fold the flatwork carried by the latter; a first ironing drum around which the first conveyor passes after passing said first folder; a second flexible, endless-belt conveyor wrapped partially around said first ironing drum in confronting relationship to said first conveyor to sandwich the once-folded flatwork snugly between them as it passes around the first ironing drum; a second folder positioned along the path of the second conveyor after it passes said first ironing drum to cross-fold the flatwork a second time; a second ironing drum around which the second conveyor passes after passing said second folder; and a third flexible, endless-belt conveyor wrapped partially around said second ironing drum in confronting relationship to said second conveyor to sandwich the twice-folded flatwork snugly between them as it passes around the second ironing drum, said third conveyor extending away from said second ironing drum to convey the flatwork away from the latter.
 6. Apparatus for folding and ironing fabric flatwork comprising: a stationary ironing drum; a first flexible, endless-belt conveyor extending from one side of the drum contiguously across the top of the drum and down around the opposite side of the drum and beneath the drum back to said one side thereof; a second flexible, endless-belt conveyor contiguously overlapping said first conveyor around said opposite side of the drum; a folding device adjacent said first conveyor ahead of said ironing drum and operative to cross-fold the flatwork thereon before it reaches the drum; and said first and second conveyors sandwiching the flatwork snugly between them while wrapping it around said opposite side of the drum.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said ironing drum has heating element means thereon for heating the flatwork as it passes around the drum. 